Method of cleaning bags



Nov. 9, 1943. M. A EIBEN METHOD OF CLEANING BAGS Original Filed April 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fly. 2

- INVENTOR. BY mL 041/? Q .E M,

4km WTLJLM ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 9', 1943.

M. A. EIBEN METHOD OF CLEANING BAGS Original Filed April 3, 1940' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w" l 9 5 I 3 o A M w 5 o I /T 4 F 2 H a 4 W 1; a w 7 6 I I INVENTOR. Qflww eafmw BY @5065, WM 07 ATTORNEYS Hg. Z

Nov. 9, 1943. r M. A. EIBEN 2,3335713 METHOD OF CLEANING BAGS Original Filed April 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 3 7 [A 2 136 3 3 1 W 9- LN.) 4

INVENTOR.

Fig. M Flg. 12 BY \7fiw flcflwt I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 c1 1 UNI TED PATENT OFFICE {2,333,713". METHOD (in-CLEA ING BAGS Micns n inten, Cleveland, Ohio 7 in Original application April 3, 1940,- Serial No.

327,671". Divided and this application October a 8-,"1940, Serial No. 360,275

This application is a division of my parent application, SerialNo.327,671 filed April3; 194-0, and issued July 14, 1942 asPatent 2,289,700, and relates to a-method of cleaning bags, andespecially such fabric bags as are designed to carry pulverized material, some of which maycling to the inner surface of thebag and requireremoval before the bag can be again'used.

While my invention is adapted-for cleaning ordinary bags which after use are open at the end, it has been especially developed to provide for the cleaning of bags of the type known'as valve bags: which have an opening adjacent the normal bottom of the bag which in use is closed by an internal flap. Such valve bags have been on.-the market since about the time of the issuance'of Patent No, 623,199; granted April 18, 1899toA.M.Bates. a

As shown in the patent mentioned, the bagis originally made with the normal -upper end closed, The bag isfilledininverted-positionby a spout entering a filling openingat one-of the corners, which is to: be at the bottom in use; As the filling is being completed, thefiap within the bag automatically closes the filling opening. The bag then remains full untilaccess is desired, when the top of the bag (i. e. the bottom during the filling) is opened, and the'contents extracted in the usual manner. Such bags, afterhuse, es-

ecially if made of fabric, have avalue for reuse, providing. they are effectively. cleaned of their former contents. .The present invention provides for, such cleaning rapidly andeficiently.

The broad principle of the present invention is to mount the empty bag on a support (which in the case of a valve bag may extendinto it through the valve opening) and then move the support along a defined path. to bringthe bag adjacent an opening into a conduit into which air is rapidly movingso that the body of the bag is drawninto the conduit andcaused'tobeat violently-against a surface thereof while the bag is held by the support, with the result'that the contentsremaining in the bag is, shaken free and discharged. The air draft/through thebag may be providedby suction applied to theco'nduit, or by compressed air applied to the interior of the bag, or both suction and compressed air may be employed.

The present application relates 'tcr the" method as aboveoutlined. 'In explaining such method I have illustrated apparatus I have devised for carrying out that method. Several forms of such apparatus are. illustrated in "the drawings'heree of, and are hereinafter more fully described, and

' 7 Claims. (01.15469) other forms (not illustrated) are included Within the terms of theappended claims. Suchapparatus is claimed in my parent application abovementioned. i

In. the drawings, Fig. 1 is a. plan, partly in section and partly broken away, illustrating one form of apparatus for carryingiout my method; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.; Fig. 3 is an elevation'of one of the bag supports shown in Fig. 1; Fig.4 is an enlarged CI'OSSrSeCtiOn of thesupport shown in Fig. 3, as indicated by the line 44ionFig.' 3; Fig. 5 is a section through the apparatus of Fig. 1,2 as indicated' by the line 5.'5 on Fig; 1; Fig.. 6 is a diagrammatic vertical se'ction'taken on the curved line 66 on Fig. 1; Fig.7 is .:an elevation of a modified form of apparatus. which may perform my method; Fig. 8 is a plan of the embodiment shown inFig. :7';Fig. 9 is a'secti-onal elevation of another modified-formof apparatus; Fig, 10 is a vertical section on the line Ill-40 on Fig. 9; Fig. 11; is an illustration of a valve bag as originally-formed before it is turned wrong side out; Fig. 12 is -a*view of such bag after using and emptying, showing it mounted On a tubular support, of any of the embodiments of my cleaning apparatus. j

Referring first to the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1-6, 10' indicates a suitable standard carrying at its upper end a horizontal disk II which may be a metal plate bolted to the top of the standard In. Journalled in thestandard H1 at the center of the disk H is a vertical driving shaft 20. At.its'upper end this shaft carries a downwardly facing horizontal drum 30. This drum being v made of a circular metal disk for the horizontal portionjand downwardly extending cylindrical flange 3| at the edge thereof. I haveshown a suitable head 2| secured to the upper end of the shaft, and bolted to the disk of the drum 3!], The vertical flange of this drum extends downwardly just outside of avertical flan-get H, on theedgeof the stationary disk II. This flange will hereinafter be described in detail. I l

Suitable means are provided for rotating the shaft 29, I have indicated, in Fig. 2, a motor 25 connected by a sprocket chain 26, with suitable gearing in a reducer 21, terminating in a bevel pinion 28 which meshes with a bevelpinion 29 on the lower end of the shaft 20. Accordingly,

when this motor is operated, the. inverted drum 30 is rotated at a comparatively slow speed, due

to the reducer 21.

"Proj ecting radially from the drum, by being j secured to its vertical flange 3|, are a number of hollow tubes M], I have shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the hollow tube as screwed into the flange 3|, and also welded thereto. The tube has several longitudinal slits in it, three being shown as indicated at M. The end of the tube as shown is closed by a plug 43.

The space within the hollow drum above the stationary disk lico'nstitutes an air chamber which may be 'suppli'ed'with compressed air from a compressor 50, through a conduit 5!, discharginfi through the stationary disk ll. close to the rotating flange 3| is an arcuate con= duit 60, shown as carried by upright supporting bars 66. may be composed of an areuate top=plate 6| This conduit is open at itsen'd's, and

Standing (which may be in about the same planewith the top of the drum a corresponding arcuate bottom plate 62, and a partially cylindrical outer wall 63 connected to the top and. bottom plates, and two partially cylindrical inner walls 64 and 65 spaced apart .a distance somewhat greater than the thickness ofthe radial bars 40.

The arcuate chamber described stands immediately adjacent the rotating turret with the two spaced inner walls 64 and. 65 substantially in engagement with the drum flange 31 and with a number of radial bars extending into'th'e'arctrate chamberlby reason of the slot between .the two walls 613 and. -The arcuatechamber'dee scribed preferably extends about the turret for approximately a half'circulnference. About midway of its length this chamber has a discharge port 61 in its. bottom wall 62, and from this discharge port a conduit. 68 leads to the casing 69 ate conduit, whilethose outside or the conduit have their bores closed by the flange l2.

The disk I and the flange l2 are preferably provided with an annular leather packing Strip l5 which en agesthe inner-surfaeeof the drum flange This engagement is below the entrance to most of the tubes 40 which are in the 'arcuate chamber while it is abovethose tubes which are outside of the c amber.

It results from the construction described that compressed air from the compressor admitted through the conduit 5! to thespace within the drum passes freely into the supporting tubes" 40 which are within the arcuate' conduit to, but cannot pass into those tubes 40 which are outside of such conduit. 7

The drum to n the. embodiment or Fig; 1 is supposed to bev rotatedin a clocke-wise direction as indicated by the arrow; Accordingly, bags A placedon some or the projecting tubes 40' outside of the arcuate conduit 60, will be carried into this conduit overt/he: discharge passageway 61', and

finally discharged through the open end or the arcuate conduit, into, a positionwhere they may be removed. I v v To. enable convenient. assage of a dependin bag A into the arouateeonduit, Iprov'id a chute 70 secured to the conduit. adjacent its entrance. This chute, which is in the nature ofan open trough inclined upwardly to the conduit, enables the bag as it reaches the chute to be deflected ,into an approximately horizontal position.

A pronounced suction is applied by the fan device 69 through the conduit 68 and port 61 to the arcuate chamber, notwithstanding the open ends of that chamber. Accordingly, as I have indicated in the diagrammatic sectional elevation (Fig 6) the bags A as they enter the arcuate conduit, flap violently agai rl-stzthe bottom thereof, and then come over the down take pipe 61 where they beat back and forth against opposite walls thereof, shaking the contents loose,

and nhaliyere discharged through the open end of the arcuate conduit in a substantially clean condition.

The-bag A Was'or-iginally formed with its flap external-by ten ing the comer of the tubular fabric-inwardly and sewing across the remaining extreme end while the bag is Wrong side out as indicated in Fig. 11. When the bag is turned righhsi'deout; this-o portion becomes-a flap anthems-ice.assho" in'Figi 12;. Before'ori'g' inally'filli i'ig suhh abag, the ndor the bags'hown in the lower extremityof Fig. 121s sewed closed; but this'sewih'g isrr'emove'dwhen the bagis-empty; so thatwthe bag when received to be elea'ned is entirely open-at oneend, and has the'valv'eoperi ing at the other-end; I

New in cleaningsucha valve-bag as ju'stdescribed, by. the apparatus or rigs. 11 to 6,. the at tendant stands at the right=hand side or the machine; air-shown in Fig: 1, and paces-the b'afi's one arterthe other oh thee-re ectingtubes- 4oea iaoent his left hand; as he races the ins-chines su'ohbags then engage the chiit'elb sha pest-into the open end-erthe arcuate conduit by reason et the suction that conduit, and 'beatviolently against the conduit walls, particularly-the ease-oi fh e condllitr U I e As seen as bag cafryihg tube at; in this rhov'el'rieiltsof the" drum, passes; beyond" the end of the statiohary fiange ligsueh tueereeeives tourpresses arrfrom the-interior of the drurn ,-tm-a thus the bag as it-travels abcut'inthe arcuate conduit: as suction acting on the exterior and compressed air" on the inter or which crumple's' or distorts tne bag 'ahd beats" it back and forth vie; orously aeainst-"the'ws is' or the conduit, thus looseningmateriel remaining in the as, so that as the-bag comes-over the discharge port if, tn cohtehts s dischargedioto that p rt;

The air suction arries into the port 6-? any'coiitentswhich have-been haken out inpassing from the-open end of the conduit to theort ti. 1 sun t orr'siso xist through theother'opefi end or the conduit aroni'l'd past the clean bags so that ven after they have left the. port 61 they are further ubjected to compressed airon the inter- 'ctid'rji' on. the exterior- Thus the bags l'ilyj cleansers; the timethey emerge he conduit After. they have emerged the attendant takes ther'n'ofi the projecting; support+ ing. tubes, 40' beyond-th arcute conduit; leaving thosetubea-free toreeeive fresh bags for cleaning; The discharge material from the; bags while they were ii -the arouate-conduit is drawn by the. suction from eachjarm' of the" conduit down through the port 61, and the clown-takepipe 68 into the s uctiqngfan 69.1 "Il'iediSGhwgerfi om this. fan. may lead: to a: separating; device similar du tco le tor (notshown) wherebythema'rtenal: loosened from the bags. maybe recovered for futureruse. l-have illustrated iIrFig'; 1 amo tor directly coupled tot-he air compressor 5| and connected by a belt 8| to the suction fan" but this construction is, of course, optional. 7

Any material that drops from the bags by gravity, or accidental shaking, as they. are put in place on the projecting arms 40 for cleaning may pass through'a grating 90 (Fig: 2) below such bags into a chamber 9I, from which it may be removed in any desired manner.

It will be understood that'the turret described rotates at a comparatively slow rate of speed, determined by the speed at which the attendant or attendants may conveniently install the soiled bags and remove the cleaned bags. Such speed gives ample time for the bags to be thoroughly cleaned in transit through thesuction conduit. The compressed air supplied to each bag through the tube 40 supporting the bag need not be of very high pressure. Thesuction, however, is preferably quite vigorous so as to cause an effective beating of the bag against the conduit walls. I

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated a simpler form of apparatus for performing the method of this invention. In this case the tubular supporting arms 40a are mounted parallel with each other in a circular course on one side of a vertical disk I which is carried by a shaft .IIII journalled in a'suitable standard I02. A sprocket chain I03 indicates means for driving this shaft to rotate the disk. At one edge of the vertical turret comprising the disk and tubes is a suction conduit H0, on a suitable support III. This conduit is connected with a suction fan I I2.

The bags indicated at A may be placed successively on the tubes 40a at the right hand edge of the machine in Figs. 7 and 8; then these tubes with their depending bags pass through the lower half circle of rotation of the disk I00 in a position opposite the mouth of the suction conduit IIO, where the bag is drawn violently into the conduit, causing it to beat against the upper and under walls thereof. At the same time that this is taking place the open end of the tube 40a comes into communication with the stationary air chamber I behind the disk I00 so that compressed air from the conduit I2I passes into the interior of the bag at the same time that the exterior is subject to suction.

The contents of the bag loosened by the suction and compressed air in this embodiment, passes into the suction conduit and is discharged by the fan. The cleaned bags pass from the suction passageway over the upper portion of the course of the tubular supports 40a and are removed at the front or right hand end of the machine just above the location where the soiled bags for cleaning are to be installed.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a still simpler apparatus which may be employed with my method. In this case, I have two tubular bag supporting arms 40b mounted in a hollow shiftable head I30. This head may be moved to carry the bag on either arm 40b into registration with the opening of a suction conduit I40, which leads to a suction fan MI. I have shown the shiftable head I as having ribs I3I- at its front and back which occupy grooves in a stationary supporting bar I35. This supporting bar is mounted in suitable frame work illustrated by the angle bars I36 and the Wooden support I3'I.

A compressed air pipe I38 leads through the top of the frame bar I to a port I39. Within the shiftable head I30 are two passageways I33 which lead from the two tubes b to two ports I34, either of which may register with the port I39. The ports are so spaced that when this registration is effected, the corresponding tube 40b is directly in front of the entrance to .the suction conduit I40.

In operating the apparatus indicated in Figs. 9 and 10, (assuming that the head I 30 is in its extreme right-hand position against a stop I), the bag A may be placed on the projecting tube 401), which is at the right hand in Fig. 10; then the head I30 is shoved to its extreme position at the left hand where it is stopped by engaging the peg I46. This brings the arm 40b carrying the bag directly in front of the mouth of the suction conduit I 40 and at the same'time brings thecorresponding port I34 into communication with the compressed air port I39. Thus compressed air is supplied to the interior of the bag and suctionacts on the exterior and draws it into the conduit and beats it violently, as indicated in Fig. 9.

While this beating action is taking place on the bag on. the right hand support, the left hand support is projected at the left hand portion of the machine with the cleaned bag ready for removal. Thus bags are placed alternately, first on one tube 40b and then on the other, as the head is shifted back andforth and carries the soiled'bag to cleaning position, and the cleaned bag to removal position.

It will be seen that each of the three forms, of apparatus shown is characterized by providing a plurality of tubular supports, so that the attendant may place a bag on the support or remove a bag from the support While another bag is being subjected to cleaning action by suction applied to a conduit with which the bag carrying support at the time is in cooperation. It will likewise be seen that compressed air is automatically connected to a tubular support carrying a bag whenever such bag is opposite the mouth of the suction conduit.

In all of these cases shown in the drawings, the bag issupported by a tubular supporting bar entering the bag through the valve opening. While I consider it very desirable to have this support in this tubular form, and subjected at the proper time to compressed air, I have found that some of the advantages of my invention may be obtained without the compressed air, the support being in that case, for instance, a solid rod entering the bag through the valve opening and supporting it in position so that the bag is acted on violently by suction, as the bag is drawn from the support into the suction conduit.

I claim:

1. The method of cleaning an open-ended bag comprising suspending it on a bar which enters a side opening adjacent the closed end of the bag, and moving the bar and bag to bring the bag adjacent the mouth of a conduit into which air under suction is moved with sumcient force to cause the bag to move into the conduit and to beat against a wall thereof.

2. The method of cleaning bags closed at one end and open at the other end comprising supporting the bag by rigid means engaging it across the closed end to hold it distended and While so held bringing it into proximity to the open mouth of a conduit into which a current of air is flowing of sufficient volume and force so that the bag is pneumatically forced open end foremost into the conduit and caused to beat against a wall thereof.

3. The method of cleaning a valve bag, comprisin supporti the bag: on a hollow member enterin the has r u h the valv openi supplying; compressed air. to said, member todischarge into the bag, and moving the bag across an opening of 'a conduit subjected to suction'of sufiicient force and volume to draw thebaginto.

the, conduit and cause it tozbeat violently against a wall thereof. I

4. The method of cleaning a bag comprising placing. it about a tubular member having aid-ischarge: opening and moving the member and'bag to bring the bag adjacent the mouth of a con.- duitinto which air under suction is moved with sufiicient force to. cause. the bag to move into the, conduit and supplying compressed airto the interior of the loag through such tubular member.

5. The method of cleaning used valve bags comprising mounting them successively on in? dividual hollow supports extending. through the valve openings into the-interior of the bags, moving the supports one after another into proximity to the open mouth of a conduit subjected to suction while the bags are subjected internally to compressed air admitted through. their supports, the bags being caused to beat against the wall of the conduit, and moving the bags suc-. cessively from the conduit to 'a region where they beei ctively remo d: from the sunports.

6. The m hod o c a in a s comprising mo ntin hem uc essive y on individual: hol- 10W pp r s and: m vin thesupports one. a t another into proximity to; the open mouth of a conduit subjected tov suction of suflicient force to cause the bag. to beat against an interior surface of the conduit supp1yingcompressed air to the support while the; bags are in the con duit close enough to said interior surface thereof to beat against. it and moving the cleaned bags successively from the conduit to. a region where they may be'effectively-removed from the supports. v

'7. The method of cleaning bags comprising mounting them. successively on individual mo v able supports andmoving the supports one after another into proximity to the open mouth ot a conduit subjectedto: suction of suflicient force duit, and thereafter removing them from the support.

A. EI'BEN. 

